Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 20: Women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) — an extreme form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy — may face up to a 50% higher risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including post-partum depression, psychosis, and PTSD, according to new research published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health.

HG, which affects up to 3.6% of pregnancies, is the leading cause of hospitalisation during the first trimester. Unlike common morning sickness, HG involves persistent, severe vomiting that can cause dehydration, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies, with symptoms often continuing into the second trimester.

The study, led by researchers in the UK, analysed data from over 476,000 pregnant women and investigated 24 neuropsychiatric and mental health outcomes within one year of HG diagnosis. While earlier research had linked HG to increased anxiety and depression, this large-scale study uncovered a 50% or greater increased risk in 13 mental health conditions.

Significantly, the risk was more than doubled for some conditions, including:

• Wernicke’s encephalopathy – a serious brain disorder caused by vitamin B1 deficiency
• Refeeding syndrome – dangerous complications when nutrition is reintroduced too quickly
• Eating disorders
• Post-partum depression, which was 2.7 times more likely in women with HG

“For women with HG, this goes far beyond typical pregnancy nausea. It can be profoundly debilitating,” said Dr. Hamilton Morrin, Doctoral Fellow at King’s College London. “Many of these mental health conditions demand urgent specialist intervention to ensure the wellbeing of both mother and child.”

The study also explored whether clinical severity of HG—based on the World Health Organisation’s ICD-11 classification—correlates with mental health outcomes. Surprisingly, women diagnosed with the more severe form of HG involving metabolic disturbances (such as dehydration or electrolyte imbalance) showed a lower risk of depression than those with "mild" HG.

This unexpected finding, researchers say, underscores the need for mental health screening and support for all women with HG, regardless of how severe the condition appears clinically.

As awareness of HG grows, the study emphasizes that early intervention, both physical and psychological, is essential to protect maternal health during and after pregnancy.